


And so the flowers grow

by RhysieRain



Series: Check Please: Percy Jackson! [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic), Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Boys Being Boys, Flirting, Fluff, Gen, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24411151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhysieRain/pseuds/RhysieRain
Summary: Bitty is tasked with distracting Jack during a game of Capture the Flag. Maybe they both get distracted
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Series: Check Please: Percy Jackson! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762846
Comments: 8
Kudos: 70





	And so the flowers grow

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short drabble/oneshot in my Percy Jackson AU whilst I'm writing my long ass fic!!! I have a proper plot one coming I promsie I'm just a very tired man. Anyways enjoy!! Reminder that Bitty is a child of Demeter and Jack is a child of Zeus. In this Bitty is now 16 and Jack is 17.

Ever so slowly, Bitty creeps through the forest. One hand clutching a sword, the other pulling his bronze shield close to his chest. He peeks between the trees, watching as the campers from the Athena cabin pass, not noticing him crouching against the tree. One benefit to being small. His footsteps were light and airy, as if the plants recognised him as his mother, helping him a long. He looked up, eyeing the flag that blew in the breeze. 

Today he was the decoy, the distraction. Here to pull Jack away from his guard dog position against the tree. “Jack’s like one of those hunting dogs,” Holster had said “All you’ve got to do is run past him and the thrill of the chase will get to him.” Charming. I mean, it was also wrong. The idea that he could distract Jack by existing was, well, laughable to say the least. Sure, their quest together last summer had brought them closer. Oh the mutual bonding of being chased by a Fury. But Jack still seemed like a mystery to him. 

Though, his tactic in this game was no mystery. He stood poised on a high branch, looking over his domain. The flag flew far above his head, a long way to climb to get it. It was no mistake that it was Jack’s job to simply watch. He hadn’t got the hang of it yet but his father’s lightning sometimes charged through him. Bitty supposed the plan was for him to fry anyone that came close. 

He gulped. Maybe Jack did have some favouritism. Hopefully. 

He breathes in, slow and steady, before darting through the trees quickly, deliberately rustling the branches. 

“Who’s there?” Jack calls, eyes squinting, his hand raised as if ready to channel his thunder. 

Bitty continued darting around the trees, Jack following him closely, before settling underneath the tree. He leans his back against the tree and tilts his head back. 

“Bitty” Jack says

“Jack, says Bitty

Jack’s dark blue eyes peer down at him. He lowers his hand down. 

“Come on Bittle,” He calls down “There’s no way Holster sent you to come and get it.”

“Why not?” Eric shot back, sheathing his sword. 

“If he was going to send one of you lot, he’d choose someone who could actually use the plants. Someone who can just knock me out of this tree.”

Well that was a challenge if he ever heard it. Eric ignored him, just for a moment, to begin climbing the tree. It was true, he couldn’t control the plants or the harvest the way his siblings could. But it didn’t mean the plants didn’t like him. He could feel the trees bark move slightly under his fingers and under his feet, helping him climb easier. 

“Come on, off.” Jack continued, squatting on his thick branch. His feet wobbled precariously. “I mean it Bittle, I’ll fry you.”

Bitty continues, his hand reaching up to a point just underneath Jack’s branch. 

“So do it,” He shoots back.

Jack stands back up as he continues to climb. Bitty watches him raise his arm in the air, hesitation dancing across his face. His loss. Bitty swings himself up, bouncing the tree branch as his own feet perch on it. It’s clear he has more balance than Jack, his feet positioned to share his weight evenly. Thank the lord for the ballet lessons Katya had made him attend. Jack stepped backwards, his large feet shaking on the thinnest part of the branch.

“Bittle.” Jack said as Bitty stepped closer. “You wouldn’t”

He would. Sure, he couldn’t fight to save his life (Well, I mean he proved he could but that was a one off) but being afraid of being sliced to pieces and falling out of a tree are two different things. He wasn’t the most boisterous child growing up but he had his fair of nasty falls. Besides, this one wouldn’t be nasty.

He pounces, tackling Jack out of the tree. It wasn’t calculated, it didn’t have to be. Jack’s own survival instincts, honed by his many years at camp, kick in and he lands almost perfectly. Bitty’s is less honed however. He rolled and he didn't feel broken. Maybe. He jumps up and oof there’s a bit of pain in his arm but it’s fine. It’s fine. Jack looks at him and Bitty looks back. The first thing he saw was the irritation in Jack’s eyes and his pinched eyebrows. So, Bitty ran.

He sprints through the forest, hearing Jack’s footsteps behind him. For a moment, he hates Holster for being right about Jack, about this. But it was overtaken by the glee he felt for it having  _ worked.  _ He was the decoy and it worked. And he was having fun. It felt like such a stark contrast to the first time he had tried Capture the Flag. Standing alone in the forest, terrified, clutching a sword he barely knew how to use. But now he feels confidence. Until he felt Jack tackling him back. 

Sharp inhale followed by a steady breath. He was fine. It was just Jack and Jack wouldn’t hurt him. 

They go tumbling across the undergrowth, rolling along together and down a hill. Mud, leaves, hair. That was all Bitty could see. They continue rolling until they reach the river that flows through the forest, body’s bouncing off of the rocks along the edge. The few Naiads that were sat observing shrieked as they plummeted into them, disappearing into the water with laughs. Bitty lands on Jack, head resting on his metal breastplate. Bitty laughs too,slightly high pitched from the cocktail of fear and adrenaline in his veins.Somewhere in their tussle, Jack’s helmet had come off but he seemed fine. Conversely, he was laughing, something Bitty had yet to see him do so happily so there might be a concussion brewing there. Bitty reaches up and scrabbles with the clasps under his chin, yanking his own dented helmet off. He chucks it to the side and slams his head against Jack’s chest, breathing heavily. 

“This was your master plan, eh Bittle?” Jack chuckled from above him in between his own pants “Take me away from the flag and throw me into the river.”

“Uh, no.” Bitty laughed back. “ Distract and separate. I wonder if Ransom even knows you left your post.”

“You think a child of Athena didn’t prepare for this?”

“They’re good but I don’t think he was plannin’ for us to go for a bath.”

“Fair point.”

Bitty sits up, extremely conscious of how he is sitting on top of Jack. He’s a 16 year old boy, of course he is EXTREMELY aware of how close they are. His cheeks darken slightly as he thinks about the acne dotted along his chin and down his neck and how close Jack is to see them in high definition. At least Jack is in the same boat, acne scars along the top of one of his eyebrows and the patchy scruff along his jaw. He takes it in, all of it, all of Jack and doesn’t notice as their faces come closer. He feels the calloused pads of Jack’s fingers dance along his chin and Jack gently pecks him. Bitty’s face burns a bright red and Jack pulls back, his own cheeks darkened. Bitty bites his lip before going back kissing Jack fiercely, clacking their teeth together in an inexperienced manner. 

They pull out of the kiss, Bitty resting his forehead against Jack’s smiling brightly. He is distracted by the feeling of something tickling against his knuckles. He pulls his hand up and peers down at the daisy that has somehow managed to tangle around his finger through the water. He leans back from Jack and gasps in shock, taking in the view around him. Apparently the plants loved Bitty and loved seeing him happy judging by the way they bloomed. The summer wildflowers all grew tall and bright, flowers blooming and practically glowing in the sun. The branches above them had sticks and twigs reaching out, leaves fluttering down. The grass that had grown around the rocks lining the stream had practically doubled in height. The plants surrounded them in a perfect circle, as if a crazy nuclear bomb of plants had sprouted from him. 

Jack smirks. 

“Children of Demeter.” He scoffs jokingly and Bitty splashes him. 

They are both distracted as the horn signalling the end blows across the forest, echoing around them followed by chants and whoops. Distantly, he can hear Holster’s loud hoots of “We owned your ASS.” Bitty turns his head to brag gleefully but is caught off guard by Jack returning the splash. Bitty gasps as his head is covered in water. Jack laughs again, his whole face seeming to glow in the spattered forest light. For one moment, Bitty’s summer is perfect. 


End file.
